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Old Stone School History (page 1 of
4)
Overview
The Old Stone Schoolhouse was
one of the first non-log community buildings built in
the Big Horn Basin of North Central Wyoming. Using a
classic one room schoolhouse design, it was constructed
in 1903 by Swiss settlers who homesteaded the area.
It was built on land which had been donated to the Odessa
School District, named for the nearby Odessa post office
which had operated from 1891 – 1895. The settlers
quarried tan sandstone from the surrounding hills and
assisted in the construction of the original 24’
x 46’ building. During the 1905 – 1906 school
year, 40 students enrolled, demonstrating the early
settlers’ high regard for education.
Although the building was mainly used
as a school, it also functioned as a church for traveling
preachers, the local Sunday school, and as a community
dance hall. A wide variety of organizations, from cemetery
boards to the Farm Bureau, held meetings here as well.
Use as a school ended in the early 1950’s, but
the building continues to be used as a meeting hall
until the early 1970’s.
In 1980, the foundation received new
footings and the roof was reshingled as an effort was
made to stabilize the building after nearly a decade
of neglect. The addition to the back of the building
was completed in 1988, using the same architectural
design as the original construction. The historical
appearance was thus retained, while at the same time
the building could serve as an art gallery, book store
and information center.
The simple form of
the schoolhouse epitomizes the austere life of the region’s
early pioneers. Shell Valley’s lush irrigated
farm fields and rolling ranches contrast with the arid
topography of the Basin, demonstrating the current results
of their earlier endeavors.
Please continue
for restoration
details.
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